Link to an image of this page [Iii4v f436v as 434]
MENTEM, NON FORMAM,
plus pollere.
Intelligence matters, not beauty
Emblema. 187.
Ingressa vulpes in Choragi pergulam,
Fabre expolitum invenit humanum caput,
Sic eleganter fabricatum, ut spirîtus
Solum deesset, caeteris vivesceret [=vivisceret]
.
Id illa cum sumpsisset in manus, ait,
O quale caput est, sed cerebrum non habet.[1]
A fox, entering the store-room of a theatrical producer, found an actor’s mask, skilfully shaped, so finely fashioned that the spirit alone was missing, in all else it seemed alive. Taking it up, the fox addressed it - What a head is this, but it has no brain!
1. See Phaedrus, Fables 1.7 (also in iambic senarii); Aesop, Fables 43.
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Related Emblems
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Iconclass Keywords
Relating to the image:
- arm held downwards - AA - both arms or hands [31AA2515] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: fox (+ animal(s) holding something) [25F23(FOX)(+5245)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- beasts of prey, predatory animals: fox (+ sitting animal) [25F23(FOX)(+535)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- forest, wood [25H15] Search | Browse Iconclass
- front façade [41A311] Search | Browse Iconclass
- head (human) [31A221] Search | Browse Iconclass
- piece of sculpture, reproduction of a piece of sculpture [48C24] Search | Browse Iconclass
- rural housing, e.g. country-house, villa, cottage [41A16] Search | Browse Iconclass
- sitting on an elevation [31A2352] Search | Browse Iconclass
- stage costume [48C853] Search | Browse Iconclass
- trees (+ stem, trunk) [25G3(+21)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- village [25I2] Search | Browse Iconclass
- workbench (+ tools and appliances ~ crafts, industries, agriculture) [47A211:48(+32)] Search | Browse Iconclass
Relating to the text:
- actor, actress (non-work situations) [48C8322] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Beauty; 'Bellezza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [51D4(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
- Intellect, Intelligence; 'Intelletto', 'Intelligenza' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [52A1(+4):54B6(+4)] Search | Browse Iconclass
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